In His Life
by My Whole Life Is Thunder
Summary: Jimmy Palmer and Vance are the only survivors of a tragic bombing at NCIS that orphans two children. Two shot first telling of the days following the bombing second is set fifteen years later
1. Chapter 1

Jimmy Palmer fluttered his eyes his head was throbbing.

"Jimmy? Jimmy are you with us?" He heard a female voice call Michelle? No. Something with a B Becky? No. Billie? No Bria? No. Breena that was it Breena.

"Breena?" He asked.

"Good you remember me." Breena said.

"Thank God you're awake I was worried we had lost you too." Vance said entering the room.

"What happened?" Jimmy asked.

"There was a bombing at N.C.I.S I'm afraid." Vance sadly explained. "What's the last thing you remember?" He asked.

"I was talking to Tony when we heard an explosion then he jumped on top of me then everything went dark" Palmer explained.

"Who else survived?" Palmer asked.

The room was silent and Palmer knew instantly what happened.

"You were the only one Jimmy" Breena said crying.

"But Vance is here." Jimmy said.

"My kids were sick at school and Jackie is out of town I was picking them up when the bomb went off." Vance explained

"I...I failed them!" Vance cries.

"No you didn't know Leon none of us could have predicted it" Jimmy said tears forming in his eyes.

Jimmy's doctor came in and explained his condition.

"You're a very lucky man. You only sustained a minor concussion and you will be sore for a while but, over the counter pain meds should help. Now we want to keep you overnight for observation and no extreme physical activity ie contact sports, running, or heavy lifting for week. The good news is you won't have any long term physical problems." the doctor explained.

"What about physcological effects?" Breena asked.

"Unfortunatly he will likely suffer survivors guilt. I'd recomend therapy." The doctor explained.

"He can speak to our clinical pshycologist Rachel Cranston." Vance added.

That night Jimmy thinks of all the things that will never happen again.

No more long slightly pointless stories from Ducky.

No more headslaps, coffee drinking, sneakiness, or boats built from Gibbs.

No more wisecracks, or movie refrences, or hitting on women from Tony.

No more video games or poison ivy incidents from McGee.

No more loud music, hugs or caf-pow from Abby.

No more threats, or ninjaness from Ziva.

They were gone his family was gone forever. They were all gone.

The worst part of the tragedy was that the bombing left two children orphans "Talia Jennifer DiNozzo" and "Catlin Penelope McGee".

Jimmy preformed the autopsies which were difficult to say the least. He was glad Vance helped. Though it was just moving bodies since while he had been cleared to return to work he still had to limit physical activity. Vance also took notes and consoled Palmer when he cried.

Ducky was found to have died instantly Jimmy swore he was in the middle of a story.

Gibbs went pretty quick Jimmy estimated no more then two miniutes past the bombing he looked content he was actually smiling he was peaceful Jimmy knew Shannon and Kelly had led him "home".

McGee after about a miniute he looked saddened and betrayed. Strangly his phone was unharmed he had been texting Sarah the last text he sent simply read "I love you".

Abby lasted only thirty seconds though she had fear in her eyes she still had a smile on her face. Vance had recoverd Bert and Jimmy joked about doing his autopsy too. For the first time in days they both laughed.

Ziva held on a long time fifteen miniutes. She was a fighter though. She looked furious yet freed knowing her past would soon be erased.

Tony went after less than a miniute. He looked proud. His was the hardest though cause Jimmy discovered he would have lived if he hadn't tackled Jimmy thus saving Jimmy's life. Though his look of pride was explained.

The bombing was courtessy by Moosad good ole' Eli David decidrd that his traitor daughter needed to die along with everybody she worked with. Jimmy was glad that the bombers were blown to smitherines and autopsies were impossible.

The funneral was weird, packed, hard, lonely, heartbreaking and long. It was held at a hall on base. Jimmy and Breena, some family of Ducky's from Scottland and a few of his friends, Jackson Gibbs and about half of Stillwater, Jackie and Leon Vance, McGee's parents, Sarah, Penelope, Ziva's neighbor, DiNozzo Sr., Abby's brothers, Maddie Tyler, and Rachel Cranston all attened. Speeches were given and tears shed.

Ducky was cremated and his ashes were scattered somewhere in Scottland.

Gibbs was buried between his girls.

Abby and McGee's bodies were flown to New Oleans wherevher family had plots.

Tony and Ziva were buried in Long Island where Tony's family had plots. Though Ziva was cremated and her ashes burried urn even just her ashes to protect her final resting place from Eli who was told she was just ash.

Jimmy and Breena decided to take Talia and Catlin in for one night...


	2. Chapter 2

_"...I'm just saying the guy from "Summer School looks like a young Gibbs" Tony said._

_"and I'm just saying I don't see it" Jimmy argued._

_" do you wear your glasses when you watch movies autopsy gre..."_

_BOOM!_

_"Palmer!" Tony yelled._

"No Tony no" Jimmy cried.

"It's OK Jimmy it's only a dream" Breena said shaking him awake.

"It will never just be a dream it is a reality I live everyday" Jimmy said as he sat up.

Breena was sad she couldn't help him. His nightmares weren't as common as they once were. She remembered nights early on where he'd wake up unconsoleable several times a night almost every night.

Jimmy got out of bed and walked to the bathroom he splashed water in his face and looked in the mirror. Sometimes he wished he had died like Paula Cassidy. The past fiftteen years rushing back at him.

The bombing

Waking up in the hospital

The autopsies

The funeral

Him and Vance becoming friends

Vance being unable to continue at NCIS and moving to Chicago to teach at the Naval College

Moving into Gibbses house (it had been left to Tony and Abby due to their seniority. When everybody died Jackson got it. Jackson had no desire to leave Stillwater but, couldn't part with it. He rented it to The Palmers for cheap and when he died two years later it was theres.

Him joining NCIS as an agent

Proudly being the one who shot Eli David dead (though he couldn't talk about it he got a smirk everytime he thought about it.

His kids

Becoming Team Leader.

**page break page break page break **

"Kids get up! We have to be there at ten!" Jimmy yelled.

Up from the room they shared in the basement ran Catie. P and T.J. though they weren't the Palmers by birth you'd never know unless you looked. Though Catie. P could pass for a Palmer that took after Great Aunt Rose or something. T.J. however was obiviously adopted. Catie. P was Tim and Abby's daughter and T.J. was Tony and Ziva's.

They were first taken in for one night til a foster home was found then the Palmers became their fosters and before long they were adopted and fifteen years had passed.

Fifteen year old Catlin Penelope "Catie P" she she was tall like her mother she had her dads redish brown hair (though as long as she kept her grades up they let her put black streaks in) and her moms grey eyes. She was a geeky goth who did cheer, made honor roll every quater, played the dirange, and was president of the science and computer clubs. She had even been in her schools Literary magazine.

Talia Jennifer "T.J." was fifteen too. She looked just like her mom except she had she had her dads green eyes. She was more into history and english and was more of an average student. She was incredibly athletic she was black belt by the time she was ten, she played basketball and softball and could hold her own in tackle football with the neighborhood boys.

Down the stairs ran Jimmy and Breena's natural children. Donnie, L.J., Tony, Timmy, Abby, and Ziva.

Donald Leon "Donnie" was eleven he was shy unlike his name sake though he wrote good stories. He was the most musicaly gifted of the children.

Leroy Jethro "L.J." was also eleven and Donnie's twin. He was no craftsmen the poor kid struggled with the home depot kids workshops. Though he was the survivalist of the family.

Anthony James "Tony" Tony was eight and most like his namesake. He loved watching movies though he also could make great ones. Unfortunatly he inherited the cronic ear infections that had plagued Jimmy growing up.

Timothy Matthew "Timmy" Timmy was seven at the artist of the group. He was like Gibbs when it came to technology yet he was a talented craftsman. Breena joked he should have been L.J. and L.J. should have been Timmy.

Abigail Breena "Abby" was five and was Jimmy's little princess. She loved pink dresses and unicorns.

Ziva Hope "Zee" was three and their little soccer star.

**page break page break page break**

Today was a very special day. Today was the day the day the N.C.I.S memorial park was to be dedicated in the location where N.C.I.S once stood. They considered rebuilding N.C.I.S in its former location but, nobody wanted to work in the place where Team Gibbs had laughed and became a family.

They tried to build there many times over the years but, everything either lost funding or was destroyed before it could be completed.

Last year a memorial park was suggested and built. It was simple a prayer path, some benches and picnic tables, trees, a garden, a playground (since the team was like kindergartners), and a memorial wall for all the fallen agents Chris Pochi, Kate Todd, Paula Cassidy and her team, Dom Vail from LA, Mike Franks, Director Jenny Shepard and in the center Team Gibbs the most beloved in the history of NCIS.

They drove to the navy yard to the newly completed park. McGee's dad and Sarah, Rachel Cranston, the whole base, Maddie Tyler and her family, friends of the team, the kid from Baltimore, Fornell along with Emily and her fiancee, Laya and Amira Franks, The Vances Jared's wife and daughter and Kayla's fiancee, and pretty much every person they helped. Speeches were made, stories told, and tributes shown.

The service ended and everybody went home. Except the Palmers. Jimmy sat on a bench, Breena walked around, and Catie. P and T.J. took the younger kids to the playground.

Jimmy sat on the bench and watched. He saw an older man walking with an ancient women and a middle aged man and a younger man the older man stepped away from his group. Next he saw a slightly older man walking with and old man, two younger women and a little girl the slightly older man stepped away. Next he saw a middle aged man walking with a middle aged women the man stepped away. Next was a man in his thirties walking with an older women the man stepped away. Next he saw a young women with a middle aged man and women the young women stepped away. Last he saw a young women walking with a middle aged women and younger man, and teenage girl the young women stepped away.

The ones who stepped away from their groups stood in the center if the path in front of Jimmy. He recognized them as Ducky, Gibbs, Tony, Tim, Abby, and Ziva.

Ducky stepped forward and said

"We are well dear boy now live your life."

Gibbs stepped forward and said

"You can't live your whole life greiving I made that mistake"

Tony stepped forward and said

"Autopsy Gremlin now is the part of the movie where you let go of the lost one."

Tim stepped forward and said

"In an instant L.J. and his team were gone yet they could not be forgotten in all eternity."

Abby stepped forward and said

"We are free now you need to be"

Ziva stepped forward and said

"You wish to be happy yes? You never will be if you don't let on."

For the first time in fifteen years Jimmy was free. He found his family and they walked into the sunset.


End file.
